


Welcome to the Ark Cradle!

by carsinoska



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-10
Updated: 2015-08-10
Packaged: 2018-04-13 21:16:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4537704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carsinoska/pseuds/carsinoska
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aporia joins Yliaster, but has a few things to say about their choice in cards.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Welcome to the Ark Cradle!

They were certainly an odd group. Z-one was endlessly kind, but he always insisted on wearing that strange mask. He didn’t know much about Paradox, but he had strange eyebrows. And there was something about Antinomy that was vaguely familiar.

One day, Aporia was left alone with Antinomy since Z-one and Paradox were in the lab, doing some experiment that he didn’t quite understand. The silent companionship was enough to tide him over after years of loneliness, but he assumed Antinomy did not feel the same, as the longer the silence stretched on, the more uncomfortable he felt.

“Say Antinomy, what was your life like before?” Aporia said, trying to dispel the silence. He hoped that the other wouldn’t be too offended at the question.

“Hehe, don’t you recognize me?” he replied, puffing out his chest and sporting a confident smile. Aporia only looked at him with confusion. “I’ve aged, it’s true, but I used to be Johnny, the pro duelist!”

“Really?!” Antinomy had perhaps aged the least gracefully of the residents of the Ark Cradle, but it did explain the sense of déjà-vu when Aporia first saw him in person. As a young child, he would often watch the other duelist’s matches on TV. “You’re really that Tech Genus genius?!”

“Yep, that’s me!”

“Then… Would it be all right if I could take a look at your deck?” Aporia was eager to see his childhood idol’s cards in person.

“Sure, what’s the problem in that? Just be careful with them.”

“Of course.”

Antinomy pulled out his cards and gave them to Aporia.

“These cards are the exact same that I remember from my childhood…”

Aporia couldn’t help but feel a sort of reverence for this ex-celebrity. He continued looking through the deck, until he got to the bottom, where Antinomy had placed his extra deck.

“This card…”

“Hm, what’s up? Ah, this is my ace, Tech Genus Halberd Cannon! Cool, huh?”

“Cool? Maybe it used to be, but…” Didn’t Synchro Monsters destroy the world? Why would Antinomy still use them?! Instead of voicing his thoughts to his companion though, Aporia kept quiet. “Nevermind.”

“Ah, that face… You’re mad at me, right? For using Synchros?” Aporia just blinked in response. “I’m used to it. My manager, other survivors in the past, even Z-one looked at me like that at first. But you know the legendary Fudo Yusei, right? For him, Synchro Monsters were more than just tools. They were a symbol of hope. With my Clear Mind, I’m sure that I can also pave a way towards a bright future, just like him.”

Despite those words, Aporia couldn’t help but be upset with Antinomy. What made him think that he could change the future with the same Synchro Monsters that destroyed the world? It was naïve and idealistic. But it didn’t look as though Antinomy would change his stance, especially if his deck was sanctioned by Z-one. Yet, he would need to spend his life alongside the other three survivors and just leaving Antinomy with his own philosophies was better than creating a rift between them. So rather than confront him on the matter, Aporia nurtured a secret spite against him.

Aporia soon discovered that Paradox also had a Synchro Monster, Malefic Paradox Dragon. However, unlike Antinomy, Paradox didn’t share his blind faith in them.

“I see it more of a necessary evil,” Paradox said. “I need it to summon my ace. There’s more but…” He looked away.

Paradox seemed to be using Synchro Monsters for his own purposes, just like every other selfish human did before the Machine Emperor Invasion. Despite his newfound distaste for the other man, Aporia prompted him to continue. 

“It’s a little embarrassing,” Paradox laughed a little before continuing, “But my monsters are quite dear to me.”

“Wouldn’t you say that’s the case for most duelists, though?”

“Oh, I’m sure it is, but in my case, I’d have to say there’s something more. My monsters and I have a rather strong bond.” Paradox seemed to want to continue, but then pursed his lips and averted his eyes once more.

So be it, then. Aporia wasn’t entirely sure what sort of attachment would make Paradox want to keep the accursed Synchro Monster and why that would excuse his use of them, but at least he didn’t have delusions of grandeur like Antinomy.

Z-one was the only other member of the group other than Aporia himself that didn’t use Synchro Monsters.

“There’s no point if I have my Timelord cards,” he told him. “Though I might have an idea why you’re asking in the first place. You’re wondering why Antinomy and Paradox use Synchro Monsters, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct,” Aporia said. “I’ve already heard it from them, but I still don’t understand. We all know that Synchro Monsters created this mess, yet they still continue to use them!”

“You’re not wrong, but to force them to part with their old decks is just as unreasonable. You must have been very young when the Machine Emperors began their invasion, so it was much easier for you to abandon your old playing style. Please try to understand.”

“But why are you allowing them to do this, Z-one?”

“As long as they use Synchro Monsters properly, there is no problem. Antinomy is keen on restoring our world and so is Paradox, even though he is less vocal about it.”

Aporia was fond of Z-one, and found it hard to argue with him. Grudgingly, he complied with Z-one’s words. 

“I see,” he said.

“I can see your resentment, still. However, this is for the best. Will you help me save this world?”

He couldn’t object to that. “Yes, of course. But I don’t need the help of Synchro Monsters.”

Though Z-one was wearing a mask, Aporia was sure that he was smiling. “I would never think to give you Synchro Monsters. Don’t worry; I’ll be sure to think of something. However, please do not give the others troubles due to their decks.”

“Thank you. And… I will try.”

“Think nothing of it. Your attempt is all that I need. Welcome to the Ark Cradle, my new friend.”


End file.
